Another couple loses life for love

Yet another couple in love fell victim to `family honour’ in Uttar Pradesh, this time because they belonged to different religious communities.

While the girl was mercilessly beaten to death after she was caught near her lover’s home, the young man consumed poison and killed himself when he came to know about her death.

Reports said Anjum Ara and Sanjeev Kashya, both residents of Chajlait in Moradabad district, about 360 kilometres from here, were in love with each other for the past three years and had expressed their desire to marry soon.

Anjum’s family was vehemently opposed to the marriage as Sanjeev was from a different religion. They had warned her from going anywhere near his house.

On Sunday, Anjum’s family members caught her while she was coming out of Sanjeev’s house.

She was dragged by the hair to her home and was thrashed till she dropped dead, sources said.

The savagery was revealed during the post-mortem examination when it was found that Anjum’s body had 27 injury marks.

“Almost every part of her body had injury marks,” an official said quoting the autopsy report.

Sanjeev too did not live long. He consumed some poisonous substance the moment he came to know about Anjum’s killing.

He was rushed to hospital but he died there a little later on Monday.

Shot dead

In another case some days ago, Abdul Hakim, who had married his lover against the wishes of her family members and the dreaded khap panchayat, was shot dead in Bulandshahr district.

The couple’s criticism of khaps and honour killings at actor Amir Khan’s TV show ‘Satyamev Jayate’ had also not gone down well with panchayat members.

Several lovers have been killed in UP in the past for defying their families, particularly in Jat-dominated western region.